Today's birthday scull...
Posted: Thu Nov 15, 2012 7:43 pmPulled into a private mill pond I hunt on some logging company land about 0900. The pond's about 40 acres. Right off the bat I spotted a hooded merganser with mate at the northwest corner of the pond where I pulled into. Good sign. Drive around to the back side and spotted another hoodie with his mate at the northeast corner. Another good sign. Drove to the back side and spotted two woodies, a bull can and a group of ringers loafing in the lilly pads at the back southeast corner. My dilemma was which to chase. I decided to skip the hoodies for now and go after the woodies and Can, hoping I could drop at least two of the three. They were within 10 yards of each other. Put my boat in and skirted the eastern shore right up to the lillies.
Nice thing is that the lilies stand up outta the water 2"-3" kinda obscuring the birds view of me. Of course they obscure my view alittle too. Pulled along side the lilies and poked my head up. Daggum woodies disappeared. I spooked about 15 ringnecks out. Can had moved out to the opeb water at the edge of the lillies bout 25 yards out. Before I could get any closer, he jumped up with 2-3 ringers. I led him by a school bus and he hit the water dead.
A young one. Not fully plumed. But I'll take it.
Started glassing again for the hoodies but they had split. It really isn't a big pond. But I spotted 5-6 ringnecks dive into some lilies at the southwest corner. Started my scull bout 200 yards out. Damn birds were tucked way back into the lilies. Sculled into them about 20 yards. Couldn't see a damned thing. Took a peak and when I did they jumped. Did my best to pick out the drake. Got lucky
Loaded up and drove ten minutes north to a lagoon. From the road I glassed about ten mallards loafing along the edge of some tules. I put in at the launch and circled around em. Again I skirted bout 3'-4' from the edge of the tules to where the birds were. But they had gone into the tules a few feet and I lost sight of em, until a hen jumped out in front of me bout 15 feet away. Smoked her over my bow as the others jumped up and flew away on my right side from about the same distance. Sitting flat on my butt I had to turn 90 degrees to the right to shoot. Luckily I connected on a greenhead.
I headed for a marshy area in the back corner where I had glassed a few mallards from a distance earlier. The survivors from my last scull had dove down into this bunch. My guess was there were maybe 7-8 mallards tucked into this marshy cove. Then from about 400 yards out I could tell there were 15+ getting settled in there. I gave the birds bout 10 minutes to settle down since the most recent bunch had just been shot at.
Trying to figure out my approach on this one was tough. I've hunted this marsh before with decoys and knew the water was shallow. Like 2'-3' shallow. But as I neared them I was able to put a small island of tules between me and them, hiding my approach. Like before I sucked into the edge of the island and tried to scull around it. There were 5 mallards in my view, but the bigger bunch I was hoping to surprise was further around the island. Unfortunately about 45-50 yards from the 5, my damn boat ran ashore. Shit! The 5 were looking right at me. I could hear the big bunch round the tules splashing and talking maybe 20 yards away, but no way I could get a shot at them. Eased the safety off, sat up and flock shot. Dropped one greenhead. Of course I wasn't thinking bout how I'd retrieve a bird 50 yards out with a boat thats stuck. Had get out into shin deep water which eventually filled my mud boots.
On my way back to the boat launch a drake buffie decided it would be a good idea to do a flyby. Negative ghost rider.
The lagoon was fulla buffies and I mighta been able to scope out another mallard at its northern end to finish my limit, but I was satisfied.
Nice thing is that the lilies stand up outta the water 2"-3" kinda obscuring the birds view of me. Of course they obscure my view alittle too. Pulled along side the lilies and poked my head up. Daggum woodies disappeared. I spooked about 15 ringnecks out. Can had moved out to the opeb water at the edge of the lillies bout 25 yards out. Before I could get any closer, he jumped up with 2-3 ringers. I led him by a school bus and he hit the water dead.
A young one. Not fully plumed. But I'll take it.
Started glassing again for the hoodies but they had split. It really isn't a big pond. But I spotted 5-6 ringnecks dive into some lilies at the southwest corner. Started my scull bout 200 yards out. Damn birds were tucked way back into the lilies. Sculled into them about 20 yards. Couldn't see a damned thing. Took a peak and when I did they jumped. Did my best to pick out the drake. Got lucky
Loaded up and drove ten minutes north to a lagoon. From the road I glassed about ten mallards loafing along the edge of some tules. I put in at the launch and circled around em. Again I skirted bout 3'-4' from the edge of the tules to where the birds were. But they had gone into the tules a few feet and I lost sight of em, until a hen jumped out in front of me bout 15 feet away. Smoked her over my bow as the others jumped up and flew away on my right side from about the same distance. Sitting flat on my butt I had to turn 90 degrees to the right to shoot. Luckily I connected on a greenhead.
I headed for a marshy area in the back corner where I had glassed a few mallards from a distance earlier. The survivors from my last scull had dove down into this bunch. My guess was there were maybe 7-8 mallards tucked into this marshy cove. Then from about 400 yards out I could tell there were 15+ getting settled in there. I gave the birds bout 10 minutes to settle down since the most recent bunch had just been shot at.
Trying to figure out my approach on this one was tough. I've hunted this marsh before with decoys and knew the water was shallow. Like 2'-3' shallow. But as I neared them I was able to put a small island of tules between me and them, hiding my approach. Like before I sucked into the edge of the island and tried to scull around it. There were 5 mallards in my view, but the bigger bunch I was hoping to surprise was further around the island. Unfortunately about 45-50 yards from the 5, my damn boat ran ashore. Shit! The 5 were looking right at me. I could hear the big bunch round the tules splashing and talking maybe 20 yards away, but no way I could get a shot at them. Eased the safety off, sat up and flock shot. Dropped one greenhead. Of course I wasn't thinking bout how I'd retrieve a bird 50 yards out with a boat thats stuck. Had get out into shin deep water which eventually filled my mud boots.
On my way back to the boat launch a drake buffie decided it would be a good idea to do a flyby. Negative ghost rider.
The lagoon was fulla buffies and I mighta been able to scope out another mallard at its northern end to finish my limit, but I was satisfied.
